User Generated Content in MMO?

ananda

Seeing that many single player games now rely on user-created mods to extend its longevity, I'm wondering why MMOs don't turn to this web 2.0 bandwagon to fix the problem of Never Enough Content.

For example,  I think allowing players to design their own instanced dungeon, with their own unique (i.e. reskinned) mobs and reward gears would appeal to a lot of people. I guess for MMO, it would be necessary to implement more control and moderation than usual. They cannot afford to let inappropriate material through, bugs in the mod cannot affect a character permanently, and need to maintain the game balance (e.g. it cannot give valuable rewards for no effort). But I think even here crowd-sourcing would be good enough: maybe something like a preview period, where players can try the dungeon but it will not have any permanent effect on the character. If the tester players rate the mods as worth playing, with no glaring bugs or imbalance, then the GM/publisher can review them in detail, and give approval to the good/appropriate ones.

I think for the developers, it would still be a lot easier than having to create the content themselves. And from my experience, the best mods are better than anything the original developers of the game came up with (although of course for each good mod there will be 10 mediocre ones and even more garbage ones).

What do you all think?

 

Icewhite

Originally posted by ananda

Seeing that many single player games now rely on user-created mods to extend its longevity, I'm wondering why MMOs don't turn to this web 2.0 bandwagon to fix the problem of Never Enough Content.

See: CoX Mission Architect.  As far as I know, it's the only attempt from a Major at PC content--and was generally not received favorably.

"For a long time now I've been asking for tools to allow MMO gamers to build their own content, but the reality doesn't seem to be quiet what I had in mind. Mission Architect has a few fundamental flaws. Players can easily build 'XP farm' type missions. If their mission gets taken down (reported for content), they can build another one in minutes. Also now that there is an easy way to get missions, why would players actually leave the mission architect complex? What happens to the rest of the game content and story arc? Surely the game designers/devs saw this coming...



History has taught us that MMO players will always abuse any power they are given. It seems odd that NCSoft would overlook such an obvious exploit. Either way, update 14 was meant to enhance the CoX gaming experience, but I fear it may be doing the opposite."

http://word-of-shadow.blogspot.com/2009/04/mission-architect-woes.html

 

Joseph_Kerr

STO has a system like that called the foundery where players can create content (playable missions) for the community, I think every MMO should have this system. There may be others im unaware of.

maplestone

I prefer user-influenced to user-generated.  By this, I mean don't give users the power to draw an entire map, give them the power to occassionally raise or lower a little corner of terrain, add or remove a little piece of vegitation, build a house, add monster attractors/repulsers, etc.  No one person gets to design it, but eventually a design emerges from the communal tweaking.

Unknown

neverwinter has it coming when it launches.

http://www.playneverwinter.com/foundry

AutemOx

In my opinion, players should be given the ability to draw an entire map, including 3D objects.

Lets take the PotBS user-content system for instance:  Players are allowed to build flags and 3D ships.  Theres a set of rules for the complex 3D ships and 5-10 player commision called the shipwright commision.  Before the ship is seen in game, you must get approval from the shipwright commision.  After that, a dev takes the ship and puts it in game with any small modifications that may need to be done.  This system quadrupled the amount of ships in game, and the best looking ships were all player made.

It was a great community building system (I am not sure if they still do it or not) and it helped attract the most mature audience I have ever seen for a MMO.

I would like to see that expanded to quest and world building.  A player commision would monitor and assist players on if the dungeon created is overpowered or not high enough quality to meet the games standards.  After its submitted, the devs would do a quick overview and scale the rewards down if they are still overpowered and then add it to the game.

I've programmed a multiplayer online sidescrolling game, and about 3/4 of the worlds in the game were made by the players.  My moderator on the site hands out passwords to modify empty worlds in the game, they fill them with stuff, and then show me and the moderator.  Most of them are rather bad but there has been enough good ones to expand my game world 400%.  I plan to have a similar system in my next project.